Fertilizers improve plant growth by supplying nutrients to the soil.
The primary nutrients necessary for plant growth are nitrogen, phosphorus,
Fertilizers and amendments
Dry vs. liquid materials
Fertilizers containing all three primary nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus,
and potassium) are called complete fertilizers. If high levels of phosphorus
and potassium are already present in the soil, supply nitrogen alone.
For most established lawns, nitrogen is the only nutrient that needs to
be supplied on a regular basis, although it may be beneficial to apply
a complete fertilizer with all three nutrients at least once a year.
- Fertilizers are formulated
in different ways according to how they make their nitrogen available
to grass roots.
vs. liquid materials
Most fertilizers are formulated as dry materials, however there are some
formulated as liquids. Liquid formulations are not normally recommended
for use on home lawns because they are hard to apply evenly and need to
be applied more frequently than dry fertilizers. Turf can easily become
burned. They are also more expensive than dry formulations.
Always follow the directions on the package label.
Click on the
underlined parts of the label for more information.